Car underframe



C. F. FREDE CAR UNDERFRAME Feb. 24, 1931.

Filed March 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l in 1 6/7 for I M 7M C. F. FREDE CAR UNDERF'RAME Feb. 24, 1931.

Filed March 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES F. FREDE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

GENERAL STEEL CASTINGS CORPORATION,

RATION OF DELAWARE or GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS, A conno- CAR UNDEBFRAME Application filed March 29, 1929. Serial No; 350,850.

My invention relates to railway rolling stock and comprises an underframe structure for railway cars and is designed particularly for cars used in a class of service where the and therefore it is necessary to construct the same of unusual thickness or to replace the 1 same at frequent intervals. By constructing thicker webs and flanges than are present in the ordinary structural underframe without increasing'the weight or unduly increasing the cost. The composition of cast steel, of which my underframe is preferably made, and the casting operation results in a hardened surface which does not readily yield to corrosion and the metal is of uniform grain throughout while rolled plates and shapes are of layer-like structure and when corrosion starts, the same eats along the lines of the layers morerapidly than through the grain as would be necessary in cast metal.

Aside from these qualities of cast metal, the thicker sections of a cast underframe will withstand a comparatively large amount of corrosion before the same are reduced to such an extent that the underframe will be weakened to the degree of strength which the structural frame would present when first put into service.

The integral structure also eliminates the numerous crevices and joints between as-.

sembled elements and between the same and the securing elements, such as bolts or rivets,

and avoids weakening by corrosion at suchcrevices.

In addition to attaining the objects indicated above, I desire to facilitate the production of a large casting of the type indicated by joining the transverse members to the longitudinal members, in part at least, at points spaced from flanges on the longitudinal members so that the flexibility of the web of the latter may be utilized to compensate an underframe of cast metal, I can provide for distortion in' the center sills due to Weaving of the underframe when the car is loaded and on a rough or irregular track.

Another object of my invention is to provide integral stake pockets in an underframe of this type.

'In the accompanying drawings which ililsustrate a selected embodiment of my inven- Figure 1 is a top underframe.

Figure 2 is in part a side elevation and in part a longitudinal vertical section on the center line of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of one of the stake pockets.

view of a one piece cast Figure 4 is a vertical section through the same taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figures 5, 9, 10, 11. and 12 are vertical transverse sections taken on the corresponding section lines of Figure 1.

Figures 6 and 7 are detail longitudinal vertical sections taken on the corresponding section lines of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is an end elevation.

The underframe is rectangular in outline and comprises center sills 1, side sills 2, end sills 3, bolsters 4, draft sills 5, diagonal corner struts 6, main transoms or needle beams 7, and intermediate transoms 8. These are the main members of the underframe but other parts are preferably formed integral with these elements in a single casting operation and I refer particularly to center plates 9 and side bearings 15 on the bolsters 4, to draft lugs 10, coupler carriers 11 and striking plates 12 on the end sills 3, push pole pockets 30 also being integral with the end sills 3, the right hand end sill also having an integral hand brake bracket 17. The brake lever fulcrum bracket 13 and brake cylinder bracket 14 are shown integral with one of the center sills and with the adjacent transoms. The side sills 2 have side stake pockets 16 integral therewith, and located at intervals throughout the length of the side sills, each pocket being adjacent to one of the cross members of the underframe. Two pairs of pockets are shown with the webs of the cross members mergin with the side sills intermediate the sides the pockets.

The centers sills 1 are of I shaped cross section and the side sills 2 are of channel shaped shaped from the side sills to the center sills being of channel or U shape.

and between the center sills comprises spaced upper and lower members, the upper member 19 being of T shape and the lower member 20 The lower member 20 and the lower flanges 20a of the transoms are joined to the web of the center sill 1 a substantial distance above the lower flange 21 of the latter. The primary object of this transom varrangement is to accommodate distortion of the center sills-due to the weaving of the underframe when the car is loaded and run on a rough and irregular track. This arrangement provides better molding conditions than where the bottom flanges of transverse members merge with the bottom flanges of the longitudinal sills as the sills can be distorted to a greater extent when the casting is shrinking than would be possible if the lower flanges of the sills and transoms were connected together.

A cored opening 20a in each of the webs of the center sills 1 around the U shaped member 20 provides for reater flexibilit of the web of the center si ls which are su ject to distortion at this point due to the weaving of the underframe.

The intermediate transoms 8 are of I-shaped cross section from end to end and are of comparatively shallow depth, their upper flanges 22 merging with the upper flanges of the side sills and center sills and their lower flanges 23 merging with the vertical webs of the side sills and center sills intermediate the flanges on the latter.

Suitable openings 24 are provided in the various webs of the transverse members at the intersections with the sill webs and these openings eliminate any tendency to produce shrinkage cracks at such intersections and do not materially reduce the strength of the connection.

The intermediate transoms 8 also serve to reinforce the.lower portions of the side sills through braces 25 which extend from the inner edge of the lower flanges on the side sills to the lower flanges 23 of the transoms.

All of the above described members are preferably three-quarters of an inch in thickness and therefore substantially exceed the thickness of plate girder or other structural steel underframe members. It is obvious that any corrosion due to the sulphur or other sources will be resisted for a much longer period of time than resistance would be oflered by ordinary structural steel underframing. It will be understood that the increase in thickness of the webs, flanges, etc., is not so essential merely for the purpose of adding strength to the underframe. The thick webs and flanges can be provided in a cast structure at a substantially less expense than structural steel webs and flanges of equal thickness. Furthermore, the weight and exense of the cast structure is materially reuced over a thick structural steel underframe by the inclusion of numerous openings 26 which could only be provided in the structural steel underframing by additional punching operations and the scrapping of the material punched out.

The stake pockets 16 have one sidewall formed by the web of the side sill and include additional side walls 27, also of substantialthickness, and reinforcing ribs 28 and flanges 29. The side sill web extends below the bottom of the ocket and is flush with one inner face thereoi to brace the lower end of a stake projecting below the pocket.

The entire underframe provides a flush top surface for laying the floor of the car without any additional stringers, and side stakes may be mounted directly in the pocket 16. In the sulphur car, for example, the car body will be formed of wood as sulphur does not readily attack wood structure and the floor boards can be bolted directly to the underframe and to the stakes seated in the pockets 16.

While I prefer to form the entire under-' frame of a single castin it is within the scope of my invention to utilize two or more sections integrally united with each other by welding, for instance, thereby obtaining the same protection against undesirable joints as exists in a one-piece casting.

' Obviously many of the details of the structure described may be varied} indefinitely without departing from the spirit of my invention aiid I contemplate the exclusive use of such modifications as come within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. In a one-piece car underframe, side sills, spaced center sills, bolsters, a transverse member located between said bolsters and extending between said side sills and connected to said side and center sills, the lower portions of said sills extending below said member.

2. In a one-piece car underframe, flanged side sills, spaced center sills each having top and bottom flanges, bolsters, a transverse member located between said bolsters and extending between said side sills and connected to said side and center sills, the bot: tom flanges of said sills being below and spaced from said member.

3. In a one-piece car underframe, side sills of channel section, spaced center sills of I-section, bolsters, and a transverse member located between said bolsters and extending between said side sills and connected to said side and center sills, the lower portions of said sills extending below said member.

4. In a one-piece car underframe, spaced center sills, bolsters, channel shaped side sills having their flanges extending inwardly, and a transverse member located between said bolsters and extending between said side sills, the lower portions of said sills extending below said member.

5. In a one-piece car underframe, side sills, spaced center sills, said sills having vertical webs and top flanges, bolsters, and a transverse member located between said bolsters and extending between said side sills and connected to said side and center sills, said member having a top flange connected to and alined with the top flanges of said sills'and having a bottom flange connected to the vertical webs of said sills at points spaced above the bottom of said sills.

6. In a one-piece car underframe, side sills, spaced center sills, bolsters, and a transverse member located between said bolsters and having top and bottom flangesand extendin between said side sills, the lower portions 0 said sills extending below the bottom flange of said-member.

7. In a car underframe, side sills, spaced center Sills having top and bottom flanges,

" bolsters, and a transverse member located between said bolsters and extending between said side sills, the portion of said transverse member between said center sills comprising spaced top and bottom elements, said top element having a T-section and said bottom element havinga U-section.

8. In a car underframe, side sills, spaced center sills having top and bottom flanges, bolsters, and a transverse member located between said bolsters and extending between said side sills, the portion of said transverse member between said center sills comprising spaced top and bottom elements, said top element having a T-section and said bottom element having a U-section, all of said elements being integral with each other.

9. In a car.underframe, side sills, spaced center sills having top and bottom flanges, bolsters, and a transverse member located be tween said bolsters andextendingbetween said side. sills, the portions of said member between a side silland a corresponding center sill being of I-shaped section from top to bottom and the portion of said member between said center sills comprising a top element of T-cross section and a bottom element of U- cross section spaced from said top element.

10. In a car underframe, side sills, spaced center sills having top and bottom flanges, bolsters, and a transverse member located betweensaid bolsters and extending between said side sills, the portions of said member between a side sill and acorresponding center sill being of I-shaped section from top to bottom and the portion of said member between said center sills comprising a top element of T-cross section and a bottom element of U- cross section spaced from said top element, all of said parts being integral with each other.

11. In a one piece car underframe, side sills, spaced center sills having top and bottom flanges, bolsters, and a transverse member located between said bolsters and extending between said side sills, the portion of said transverse member between said center sills comprising spaced top and bottom elements with a substantial opening therebetween extelxiding the full distance between said center s1 s.

12. In a one piece car underframe, side sills, spaced center sills having top' and bottom flanges, bolsters, and a transverse member located between said bolsters and extending be tween said side sills, the portion of said transverse member between said center sills comprising spaced top and bottom'elements and the portions of the webs of said center sills adjacent to said bottom element having openings to accommodate distortion in said webs.

13. In a car underframe, side sills, spaced center sills having top and bottom flanges, bolsters, and a transverse member located be tween saidbolsters andextending between said side sills, the portion of said transverse member between said center sills comprising spaced top and bottom elements, one of said elements having a T-s'ection' and the other of said elements having a U-section.

14. In a car underframe side sill, a vertical web, forming a main element of said sill, and a stake pocket integral with said web, said web forming one side of said pocket and extending below the same to brace the lower portion of a stake fitting in and projecting below the pocket.

15. In a car underframe side sill of channel cross section with its flanges turned inwardly, a stake pocket integral with and projecting outwardly from the main vertical web of the sill, said web forming one side of said pocket and extending below the same to brace the lower portion of a stake fitting in and projecting below the pocket.

' 16. In a one-piece car structure, a car underframe side sill, a stake pocket projecting outwardly from the Web of said sill, and a transverse member on the other side of said sill, said member being of approximately the same depth as said pocket and strengthening said sill at said pocket, said web forming one side of said pocket and extending below the same to engage the lower portion of a stake projecting below the pocket.

17. In a one-piece car structure, a car underframe side sill, a stake pocket projecting outwardly from the web of said sill, and a transverse member on the other side of said sill, said member being of approximately the same depth as said pocket and strengthening said sill at said ocket, said web forming one side of said pool same to engage the lower portion of a stake projecting below the pocket, and a brace extending from the bottom of said webto a point on said transverse member spaced from said sill.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 26th day of March, 1929.

CHARLES F. FREDE.

et and extending below the 

